06.09.24 "My Birthday / I Will Not Refuse to Be Glad"

Friday June 7th I celebrated my birthday. I no longer count the years, but it is still fun to celebrate the day. "Have you really considered how many opportunities you have to gladden yourselves and how many of them you have refused?" (OrEd.Tx.4.63) I went on a fun and beautiful 4 day "birthday trip" to South Lake Tahoe a resort town on the California / Nevada border which sits on the southern tip of a large, high mountain, fresh water lake – Lake Tahoe.

Birthdays afford me a unique opportunity for self reflection. I have been involved with ACIM since 1980 which is 44 years. Wow!! Time sure flies when you are having fun! I had a lot of self healing to do for the first 35 of those, but I never put the book down, never threw it in the trash, never thought it was "bunk," or that I was through with it. In fact in my more difficult moments I held it even closer. I always find it curious, and a little sad, when people move away from ACIM when their lives get "difficult." That's precisely when they need it the most.

In fact the difficulty is probably just the ego's projected resistance to their learning ACIM and an indication of their spiritual advancement. Remember that the ego turns vicious when it is severely threatened. "This is when [the ego] will shift abruptly from suspiciousness to viciousness, since its uncertainty is increased." (OrEd.Tx.9.42) Since this is true, it is more important than ever not to let go of the Holy Spirit and our practice of ACIM at these times. "Do not abandon faith, now that the rewards of faith are being introduced." (OrEd.Tx.17.48)

The "gladden yourselves" teaching (which I have always loved) is repeated again a little later in ACIM. "To heal is to make happy. I have told you before to think how many opportunities you have to gladden yourselves and how many you have refused. This is exactly the same as telling you that you have refused to heal yourselves." (OrEd.Tx.5.1) I will not refuse to be glad, so I will not refuse to be healed.

25 min.
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE